Meridian’s New Gaga Ball Pit

As students returned from fall break, many noticed a new Gaga ball pit installed near the middle school patio. Sprucing up an area that would otherwise be just a patch of grass, the pit has already hosted several Gaga ball games. Ravi Vancura, a senior at Meridian, constructed and donated the Gaga ball pit as a part of his Eagle Scout Project.

According to Vancura, an Eagle Scout Project is “one of the final things the scout has to do to acquire the rank of Eagle. They find some sort of beneficiary, and they plan and meet with their beneficiary. It takes a lot of signatures to get done. Then, they build and complete a project focusing on leadership.”

It took a lot of time, but eventually, Vancura got the permission he needed from the Boy Scouts to begin his project. “We’ve been fortunate to have several Eagle Scout projects over the last several years at our school, and this latest one with Ravi Vancura involved the creation of another gaga ball pit for our secondary students,” stated Sarah Gardener, the Director of Community Engagement.

Building the Gaga ball pit was no small feat, as a lot of time, money, and dedication went into the project to ensure quality. “I had to communicate with different suppliers because many more traditional places, like Home Depot, are vastly overpriced. So, I had to find people who aim more towards actual construction. There is a lot of educating I had to do for myself, learning all the steps that I needed to take,” stated Vancura.

So, whenever you see students playing gaga ball in the new pit, you can thank Ravi Vancura for planning, working, and achieving this goal to make his community a more interactive place.